An integrated circuit die is a small device formed on a silicon wafer, such as a semiconductor wafer. Such an integrated circuit die is typically cut from the wafer and attached to a substrate or base carrier for redistribution of interconnects. Bond pads on the integrated circuit die are then electrically connected to the leads on the carrier via wire bonding. The integrated circuit die and wire bonds are encapsulated with a protective material such that a package is formed. The leads encapsulated in the package are redistributed in a network of conductors within the carrier and end in an array of terminal points outside the package. The terminal points allow the integrated circuit die to be electrically connected with other circuits, such as on a printed circuit board. An integrated circuit can also be attached to another integrated circuit to form a stacked multi-chip device.
Modern consumer electronics particularly personal portable devices, such as cell phones, digital cameras, music players, PDA's, and location-based devices, require miniaturization as well as increasing integrated circuit die content to fit an ever shrinking physical space. Numerous technologies have been developed to meet these requirements. Some of these technologies involve larger integrated circuit die in smaller integrated circuit packages.
The demand for leadless packages for large integrated circuit die applications is increasing due to the migration of mature packages to leadless and small form factor packages. These technologies have struggled with manufacturing and fabrication problems including the attachment of the integrated circuit die and the related adhesives. Other problems include stresses often resulting in damage to the integrated circuit die, such as delamination, adhesive bleed out and spread out. This damage causes failures that are sometimes intermittent and hard to detect or analyze. Broad use of integrated circuit die has extended the needs for reliability and performance beyond even recent expectations.
Thus a need still remains for an integrated circuit package system to ensure that the manufacturing methods provide increasing reliability and performance. In view of the ever-increasing need to save costs and improve efficiencies, it is more and more critical that answers be found to these problems.
Solutions to these problems have been long sought but prior developments have not taught or suggested any solutions and, thus, solutions to these problems have long eluded those skilled in the art.